Capitol to Courthouse Headliners: Thursday, April 1
Apr 1, 2010
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Americans for Tax Reform: Billion-dollar beach-house bailout
Rich who choose high-risk property should pay to protect themselves
Congress will soon consider a $200 billion bailout aimed at protecting waterfront real estate owners in Florida.
American Consumer Institute: Florida’s Citizens not the best option for consumers
Imagine state government setting up a company to compete against private businesses.
Weather expert predicts busy hurricane season
The Sunshine State’s respite from major hurricane strikes could be over this year. Experts at the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando say they are finalizing their forecasts for the upcoming hurricane season — and it doesn’t look good.
St. Pete officials approve red light cameras
The city council voted 7-1 today to install cameras at intersections to fine motorists who don’t stop at red lights, hearing little opposition from the public and citing few specific studies that showed this was an effective way to reduce crashes.
Palm Beach County commissioners vote to ban new pain clinics for 1 year
Palm Beach County Commisioners this morning voted a final time to approve a one-year ban of new pain clinics in the county’s unincorporated areas, giving official approval to a rule-change that essentially took effect in December.
Malpractice Damage Cap Needs Review, Florida Court Says
The State Supreme Court should take a fresh look at the constitutionality of caps on non-economic damages in certain medical malpractice cases, an appellate court said Wednesday.
Florida Senate plan would privatize more of Medicaid, prisons
The Florida Senate approved a $68.6 billion budget proposal Wednesday that would slash costs by privatizing more of the state’s Medicaid and prison systems.
- Senate budget makes poor pay deductibles, co-pays for Medicaid
- To help pay for reforms, Medicare fraud ripe for plucking, top South Florida prosecutors say
House approves budget on party-line vote
On a party-line, election-year vote, House Republicans on Thursday pushed through their blueprint for spending $67.2 billion next year, most of it for education, health care, transportation and public safety.
Audit: Ex-Florida GOP chair Jim Greer had secret contract; state investigates
Jim Greer was ousted from his post as Florida GOP chairman earlier this year.
Ousted former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer is under criminal investigation over a secret fundraising contract he signed with then-executive director Delmar Johnson that paid their company at least $200,000.
Senate votes to break up Florida Department of Management Services
The Florida Senate voted to break up the “embarrassing” Department of Management Services today, creating a new personnel agency and sending property-management functions to other state offices.
Everglades deal in jeopardy after judge’s ruling
Gov. Charlie Crist’s grand plan to revive the dying Florida Everglades by buying back the land is in jeopardy after a federal judge Wednesday ordered the state to resume construction on a multimillion-dollar restoration project.
Representative Ford Advances Legislation Tightening Lottery Rulemaking Authority
Representative Clay Ford’s (R-Gulf Breeze) bill to make the Department of the Lottery more efficient passed the Economic Development and Community Affairs Policy Council today.
Blog: Lottery final sticking point in Seminole talks
House Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, who is spearheaded talks with the Seminole Indian tribe, said one final sticking point in compact talks revolves around the Florida Lottery — the two-decade-old, $4 billion gambling enterprise.
Florida Hometown Democracy amendment in trouble
Most Floridians support the “Hometown Democracy” constitutional amendment but not in high enough numbers to pass the measure this fall, according to the fourth annual Sunshine State survey.
Blog: Miami delegation feud ends residency requirement for agency heads
The internal wars within the Miami-Dade delegation erupted into a light-hearted feud late Wednesday as Rep. Marcello Llorente successfully defeated a measure by Rep. David Rivera that requires all state agency heads to live within 50 miles of Leon County.
Florida Senators reach deal to avoid prison closures
The Florida Senate’s budget chief Wednesday backed off from his proposal to close two state prisons and privatize a third in the face of mounting opposition from colleagues, the union representing prison guards and local officials.
Editorial: President Obama’s offshore drilling proposal shouldn’t harm Florida
President Barack Obama’s proposal to expand offshore drilling nationally has environmentalists fretting about what it could do to the country’s shorelines and wildlife, including Florida’s.
Meeting state-mandated energy conservation goals could cost FPL customers
Meeting state-mandated energy conservation goals could cost the typical 1,000 kilowatt-hour Florida Power & Light Co. customer an additional $2 to $3 a month, the company said.
Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance board will consider 7 percent rate hike
The board that governs the state-run insurer of last resort for homeowners will meet Thursday to approve or reject an average 7 percent rate increase for its 130,000 policyholders.
Louisiana Judge rejects policy exclusions in Chinese drywall case
A Louisiana court has ruled that an insurer may not use several exclusions to deny homeowner claims resulting from tainted Chinese drywall.
The Heartland Institute and The Pelican Institute: Keeping a Good Thing Going
A Market-Based 2010 Agenda for Louisiana Property Insurance Reform
The numbers speak for themselves. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated Louisiana in 2005, more than $15 billion in private-sector insurance money flowed in to rebuild the state and its neighbors.
High Court Class Action Ruling Revives Suit Against Allstate
The U.S. Supreme Court, in ruling on what qualifies as a class action, has reinstated a suit that accuses Allstate of routinely refusing to pay interest when it is late with a benefit payment.
Guy Carpenter: Reinsurance Rates Continue to Decline at April 1, 2010 Reinsurance Renewals
Pressure on Returns Sustaining Active Capital Management, May Eventually Stabilize Market
Reinsurance rates across most lines of property catastrophe business around the world continued the decline experienced at January 1, 2010, according to Guy Carpenter & Company, LLC, the leading global risk and reinsurance specialist, in its annual report released today on reinsurance market conditions at the April 1 renewals period.
Hurricane season nears, choose your shutter options now
This winter has been brutal in all areas of the country and one of the coldest and wettest on record in Florida. This severe weather trend could continue into the summer months.
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